Choices

21 - Separation

A/N: "True love doesn't mean being inseparable; it means being separated and nothing changes" - Author Unknown

Disclaimer: Some scenes  and dialogues derived from Episode 9 of ELOD (you'll know them when you see them). Credit for these goes to the rightful owner.

Warning: Pure angst, as the title suggests.

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Zheyan was just about to leave the Ten Miles Peach Orchard when he saw her, standing at the entrance with her head down and shoulders drooped in defeat.

"Xiaojiu!" he exclaimed, taking in her wan face and defeated demeanor in one glance. He flew over to where he stood and took her pulse by force of habit, frowning at the erratic beat he found there. "What happened? How come you're here?" Shouldn't she be at Bihai Cangling now, preparing for the wedding?

Fengjiu opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. And then, without warning, a small sob escaped, escalating in volume and intensity until she was crying like the child that she still was, bearing the pain of someone thousands of years older. Prattling and gossipy though he was, Zheyan understood when silent acceptance was the best medicine, and so he stood by her and held her close, not demanding any explanations, simply offering comfort and a shoulder to cry on.

After a while her sobs tapered off and turned to sniffles, and Zheyan conjured a clean handkerchief for her to wipe her face off with. As she did, he looked over her with careful consideration and asked at length, "what happened?"

With a sad smile, his usually energetic pseudo-niece shook her pretty head. "Nothing unexpected." Wiping the last of her tears away, she asked with a gravity that the ancient phoenix had never seen before, "can you do me a favor, Zheyan, and keep this one thing quiet for me?"

It went against Zheyan's good judgment, but this child so very rarely asks anything of him, and he felt that she truly needed his confidence now, more than ever. "I promise."

The smile that she thanked him with was breathtaking in its melancholy. "Can you give me something for, for -- pregnancy? Not - not that I am, but...just in case?"

Why is she even worried about something like this at this point? Wasn't Donghua taking full responsibility for her? Zheyan's heart constricted and he wanted to burst into flames right then and there, and perhaps burn down a tree or two in Bihai Cangling, but for Fengjiu's sake he pushed down his rising rage and said instead, "tell you what, I can prepare two pills for you, and you can choose which of them you want to take, in case you need to."

"Thank you, Zheyan. I have to go now, but can you send the pills over to Xiaoyan's palace, once they're done?"

"Of course." He watched as she nodded, gave him a small bow, and started to turn away. Before she can go, though, he took hold of her hand in a gentle grip and said, "Your uncle and I are here for you, Xiaojiu. Whatever it is that you decide to do, or wherever you decide to go, we will always support you, okay?"

Another quiet, sad smile edged with tears, and she was gone.